Heat exchanger



J. PRICE HEAT EXC HANGER Sept. 3, 1935.

Filed Jan. 11, 1928 5 Sheel:s'Sl'uaet l '1 INVENTOR' fiJe Jb B766 fwb'wJ/g '7 #176 ATT 4400 RNEYS,

J. PRICE HEAT EXCHANGER Sept. 3, 1935.

Filed Jan. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR i Sept. 3, 1935. .1. PRICE HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Jan. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTIOR \fos 6 06 r/ce BY 44 ATTORNEYS Sept. 3, 1935. J. PRICE 2,013,186

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Jan. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR kfase o/i Pr/ce B J s Nauru a ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 3, 1935 2,013,186 I HEAT EXCHANGER Joseph Price, St. George, Staten Island, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Gris com-Russell Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1928, Serial No. 245,826

11 Claims.

Thi'sinvention relates to heat exchanging apparatus and resides in certain improvements in the structure and arrangement of the parts thereof.

One object of the present invention is to provide a type of heat exchanger having a wide range of adaptability to various heat transferring problems by means of the use of a multiplicity of identical sections.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a type of heat exchanger which shall render it possible to perform the necessary cleaning'operations in a few simple manipulations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger composed entirely of castunits whereby the employment of expanded tube joints is avoided and buckling of the tubes from any cause is impossible.

Another object is to provide a type of heat exchanger capable of being constructed of various kinds of metals, the particular metal being determined by the nature of the media to be passed through the element in heat exchanging relation.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example several embodiments of the invention, but the invention is not limited to these forms, or to the particular shape and arrangement of parts shown therein, except insofar as defined in the appended claims.

In these drawings,

Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive illustrate a heat exchanger .in which the individual sectional elements thereof are provided with a single pass for each of the fluids; and I Figs. 4 to 20 inclusive illustrate modified constructions in which each of the elements is provided with two passes for each fluid.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the single pass element heat exchanger;

Fig. 2 isa view partially in plan and partially in section of one of the elements of the heat exchanger illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view, with a fragment thereof in section to show the connection between adjacent elements;

Fig. 3' is a section on line 33' of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view partially in elevation and partially in section of a modified form of heat exchanger in which double pass elements are emp y Fig. 5 is a plan view of the inlet and outlet,

connection shown at the top of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 66 of Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a single double pass heat exchanger element such as employed in the assembly shown in Fig. 4;

. Fig. 8 is a section taken on line. 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing an end view of the heat exchanger element with the cap removed;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the heat exchanger element taken on broken line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing the interconnection between a pair of diagonally opposite passageways through the element at the left hand end thereof;

Fig. 10 is a section taken on line Ill-I0 of Fig. 7 through the cap at the left hand end of the element;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 9 but taken on broken line ll-il of Fig. 10 to show the interconnection of the other two diag- 7 onally opposite passageways of the heat exchanger element;

Fig. 12 is an elevation of a further modified form of exchanger which may be expanded both vertically and horizontally;

Fig. 13 is an end view looking from the right of Fig. 12; and

Figs. 14 to inclusive are detail views of different parts thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, and first to embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is shown in Fig. 1 a three-unit assembly made up of two identical units or elements A separated by a unit or element B identical in all respects except that it is reversely arranged so as to provide left and right inlet and outlet openings, as will be later described. Each unit comprises a casting consisting of a body portion of oval or other suitable cross section with parallel passages for the fluids between which the exchange of heat is to be effected. Each unit at each end is T-shaped to provide bolting wings I. At one end of the top unit A, a little to the left of its shorter center line, there is provided a bossed aperture 2 for the admission of one of the fluids. This medium passes downwardly through the port 2 and then through the outlet opening 4 at the other end of the unit, and into the left passage of the next unit B. The other fiuld is admitted to the unit A through a bossed aperture 6 in the upper wall of the far end of the unit and passes downwardly through that opening into and horizontally through the passageway or tube 1 which, is identical with the tube- 3, the two tubes being in heat-transferring relation by means of the heat conducting wall 8. The fluid then passes downwardly through the outlet opening 9.

The second unit B of the stack or assembly is identical with the top unit except that the inlet and outlet ports are reversed, that is, the inlet opening for the right hand passage as viewed in Fig. l is at the near end of the stack instead of the far end, and the outlet opening at the far end, while the inlet opening of the left hand passage is at the far end and the outlet opening is at the near end. In other words, the arrangement of the inlets and outlets of unit B is just the reverse of the arrangement for unit A, and unit A might be referred to as a left-hand unit and unit. B as a right-hand unit. Thus the inlet ports of the unit B register with the outlet ports of the top unit A and the outlet ports of unit B register with the inlet ports of the bottom unit A.

Each of the bolting wings has an opening iii for the passage therethrough of the throughbolts ll. These bolts may be of any desired length and hence any number of heat exchanging units or elements of the present invention may be bolted together in a pile with the units A and B alternating, the number of units being varied to meet varying conditions of service. Each unit also has in continuation of the heat exchanging passageway, plug-holes l2 for the insertion and passage therethrough of a cleaning tool. Normally, these plug apertures are closed by shouldered plugs l3.

It will be observed from Figs. 1 and 3 that the bossed apertures at one end of each unit have a smaller outside diameter than the bossed apertures on the other end of the unit; and that the larger apertures of each unit are interlocked with the smaller apertures of the next unit. That is, a, male and female type of joint is provided to prevent blowout of the gaskets.

In describing the above assembly the ports on the top of each unit have been referred to as the inlet ports and those on the bottom as the outlet ports, thus assuming a downward flow of both fluids through the stack, but it will be understood that the pipe connections (not shown) may be arranged for an upward flow of the fluids or a countercurrent flow. Also the stack of units may be arranged horizontally instead of vertically as shown, or in any other position,

It will be noted that in each unit the tubes or passages 3 and l are substantially circular in cross section, that these passages extend entirely through the units, and that each passage is of uniform cross section throughout its length. Furthermore the separate passages 3 and l are ,arranged side by side in substantially parallel relation whereby heat may be exchanged from fluid in one passage to fluid in the other passage, through the intervening mass of metal separating the passages. The passages may be cleaned easily because each is of uniform cross section throughout its length, and the shape of the passages is such as to facilitate the cleaning operation. As illustrated in the drawings the passages are circular in cross section and of substantially the same size.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 to 11,. inclusive, it will be seen that by carrying forward the broad idea already disclosed, and by a slight modification of the structure, an exchanger is obtained in which four parallel passages are provided instead of two.

Fi". 4 shows an assembly of three composite units A of this form of the present invention. Each composite unit A, as shown,-comprises a aolaieci body portion ii in which are four passageways or tubes lii, all of the same diameter and length, grouped about a central web it. As illustrated, the body portions are shown as tapering from each end, on all sides, towards their middles, and the passageways id as also sloping downwardly and inwardly, converging towards their center points. This formation of the body portions is not essential, however, being adopted in the present instance for the purpose of economizing the quantity of metal necessary, and the passageways may well be shaped and directed in other ways. The passageways iii are circular in cross section, they are of uniform cross section throughout their length, and they extend entirely through the body portion i l.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 7, each of the composite units A is closed at one end by a flat, blank cover plate l6, secured by stud bolts or the like to a flange ill on the body of the section. At the other end, two diagonally opposite passageways i3 and iii are placed in communication through an elliptical passageway 20 in a header or cap member 26 best seen in Fig. 10. This member 2i is secured over the tube ends to the flange 22 by stud bolts or the like. The cap member, is not perforated throughout its entire thickness in the direction of the length of the tubes by the elliptical passageway, but there is left suificient thickness of metal 23 between the passageway 26 and the ends of the other two tubes 2d and 25 to prevent their contents from entering the header 2i.

At the blank cover plate end bf each unit, on the upper side of the unit, there are provided two bossed apertures 25 and it having female faces, the aperture El, farthest from the right end, opening downwardly into the back tube and being usually employed for the passage upwardly therethrough of the Warmer fluid, the other aperture 26 opening downwardly into the front tube of each section and being. usually employed for the passage downwardly therethrough of the colder fluid. On the under side of each section,

there are bossed apertures 26 and 2i coinciding in location with the ones on top, but having the bosses shaped into male faces, in order that the units may engage at this end with each other in rigid fluid-tight relation when stacked in vertically spaced relation, as they usually are.

At the end of the units remote from the blank cover plate i6 there is provided a diagonally slanting port, or down-pass 28, best shown in Fig. 8, connecting the upper right-hand tube-passageway to the lower left-hand tube passageway, the inner solid face of the header 21 forming the fourth wall of this down-pass when bolted in posi-. tion. Hence the fluid entering at the topof the unit by means of the aperture 26 (Figs. '7 and 8) will flow to the header, or left, end through tube 24 until it encounters the down-pass 28, (Fig. 9), where it is deflected to the rear and downwardly into the tube 25, through which it flows back to each unit, as will be obvious. Thereis, in each I of the present invention can be placed one on top of the other in vertically spaced relation, the male faces of the two apertures on the under sides at the right end fitting into the female faces of the upper sides of the next lowerunit in fluidtight and rigid relation, the flanges 22 at the other ends of the units resting on each other in more or less fixed and rigid relation.

In order to furnish suitable means for admitting and discharging the media being operated upon, there is provided a box 29 having on its right, or front side, a port 3|, communicating with a port in the bottom face, which latter port is provided with aboss to fit within the boss ofthe aperture 26. In the opposite or rear face there is provided a similar port 3| for the admission of the other fluid through the aperture 21. On the under side at the right end of the lowermost unit of the stack, fitting over the apertures 26' and 21', there is a similar box 29' for the emission of one fluid on the right or front side, and the discharge of the colder fluid, on the left or rear side, by passageways similar to those in box 29. These two boxes are held in fluid-tight relation to the apertures 26, 21, and 26', 21 at the ends of their respective units, by suitable through-bolts 30, arranged as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus these bolts also serve to unite the several units into a rigid compact heat exchanger.

I have described both fluids as flowing downwardly through the exchanger, but if desired'the flow may obviously be upwardly or countercurrent, as desired.

In Figs. 12 to 20 I have disclosed a further modification of my improved heat exchanger wherein the path of flow of the fluids may be extended by enlarging the heater both horizontally and vertically, to thereby adapt the heater for spaces of widely varying dimensions. As shown in Fig. 12, this form of exchanger is made up of identical connecting sections 40 at one end of the heater, said section having passages for directing the flow of fluid into and out of the body sections 4|, andalso passages for transmitting the fluids from one heat exchanger unit to the adjacent units.

The .body sections 4| are identical and are adapted to be fltted to the end sections 40 and also to each other, whereby the length of the flow passages of each unit may be extended to any desired length. The third element of the heater consists of a double-U return member 42 adapted to be fitted to the ends of the units opposite to the end pieces 40. The exchanger is also, of course, provided with inlet and outlet connections 43 and with clamping bolts 44 generally similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

In" this exchanger, as in the exchanger Fig. 4, each unit contains four passages for the inflow and return of the two fluids, respectively, and in the end sections 40 these passages are numbered 45, 45a for the one fluid, and 46, 46a. for the other fluid. These passages extend transversely of the sections 40 and register with the similarly arranged passages in the intermediate or body sections 4|. The connecting section 40 is provided on one face with a ground or gasketed flange member 41 against which a similar flange on the end of the adjacent section 4| is clamped to provide fluidtight connections between the-passages in the end section and the body section, respectively. The opposite faces of section 40 are machined to provide seats for the cover plates 48.

On the upper ,face of each section 40 bossed ports 45b, 4612 are provided for the ingress of fiuid into the passages 45 and 46, respectively, and on the under side of each section 40 similar ports 45c, 46c are provided for the egress of the fluid. The ports 45b, 46b are countersunk to receive bosses formed on the ports 45c, 46c, whereby the sections 40 are interchangeable one with the other, and the whole series of connecting sections necessary to give the desired heat exchange may be held in fluid-tight engagement with each other by the clamping bolts 44 which also serve to clamp the inlet and outlet members 43 in place. The members '43 are identical except that the inlet member has its ports arranged to connect with the ports 45b, 46b, while the outlet member 43 has its ports arranged to flt the bossed outlet ports 45c, 460.

Each body section 4| is provided with flanges at the ends and the flange 4|a at one end is provided on one side with a projection 4| b and on the opposite side with a recess 4|c so arranged that when the units are stacked one on top of the other the projection 4| b is adapted to flt into the recess Me of the unit 4| immediately below.

The flange Me is also machined oif on its face to form a seat against which the adjacent end of the next member- 4| may be clamped and the two flanges are provided with bolt holes for the usual clamping bolts. exchanger may be extended horizontally to any desired length, as determined by the space available and the desired length of flow path, the

By this arrangement the return member 42 is provided with a flange ma- 1 chined to flt the flange of the adjacent section 4| and with holes for the clamping bolts, whereby when the return member is clamped in place separate return passages will be provided for both fluids.

The above described heater has all the advantages of the structure shown in Fig. 4, and the additional advantages of being extensible both vertically and horizontally. This not only adapts the heater for installation'in spaces of widely varying dimensions, but also makes it very easy to change the length of the flow path whenever changing conditions of temperature or of the characteristics of the fluids operated on makes it desirable. This change in the length of the flow path will be accomplished by merely removing the end sections 42 and inserting or removing body sections 4|, as may be desired, and without in any way disturbing the intake and outlet connections of theheater.

It is to be understood that the units of any of the above described modifications of the present invention can be made of seamless drawn steel or welded tubing, the tubes being bound together in intimate heat transferring relation either by welding or otherwise, or by the use of I into place around both, or all four of the tubes.

Cleaning of the flow-paths is quite easily accomplished by merely removing the cover plates and the headers, whereupon a simple cleaning tool may be readily and rapidly run through all the straight, cylindrical tubes.

My improved heat exchanger has its principal utility in the oil-refining or coal tar refining fields where cast iron units are particularly desirable because of the corrosive action of the oils' and vapors on steel. Cast iron is cheap and the units may be made with thick substantial walls which will stand up for a long period before becoming sufficiently pitted or corroded to require replacement. The thickness of the metal between the passages has but little effect on the rate of heat transfer, when handling oils, oil vapors or gases.

By casting the tubes integrally, expanded tube joints are eliminated, and hence there is no liability of creeping tubes, leaky joints, or broken tube-sheets.

It will of course be understood that the embodiments of the invention selected for illustration are but typical of various forms in which the invention may be carried out, and that the invention is not limited to the details of construction disclosed except insofar as recited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A heat exchanger element comprising a single unitary piece of metal having four parallel passages for the flow of fluid therethrough, said passages being arranged around a common center, and means for connecting the diagonally opposite passages with each other whereby each pair of diagonally disposed passages constitutes a continuous path for the flow of one fluid.

2. A multiple unit heat exchanger comprising a plurality of sections each consisting of a unitary body of metal having parallel flow passages therethrough, a plurality of said sections being connected together in axial alignment to form one longitudinal element of said exchanger and a plurality of said longitudinal elements being arranged parallel to each other and in series relation to provide a flow path of the desired length, and connections at one end of said longitudinal elements for transmitting the fluid from one such element to the adjacent elements.

3. In a multiple unit heat exchanger a unit having four parallel passages extending into said unit from one wall thereof and means for interconnecting said passages comprising a cap member having independent passages extending at right angles to each other and arranged when clamped against the end face of said unit to interconnect the diagonally opposite passages.

4. In a multiple unit heat exchanger, a unit body having four parallel passages extending into said unit body from one wall thereof and means for transmitting fluid to and from said passages, said means comprising a block adapted to be clamped against the end face of said unit body, said block having longitudinal passages aligning with the passages of said unit body and ports transversely arranged with respect to the passages of said unit body for providing external connections.

5. A multiple unit heat exchanger comprising a plurality of sections each consisting of a unitary body of metal having parallel flow passages therethrough, a plurality of said sections being con= nected together in axial alignment to form one longitudinal element of said heater and a plurality of said longitudinal elements being arranged parallel to each other and in series relation to provide a flow path of the desired length, and connections at one end of said longitudinal elements for transmitting the fluid from one such element to the adjacent elements, said elements having symmetrically arranged interlocking projections formed thereon whereby each unit will be engaged with the contiguous units of the adjacent longitudinal elements.

6. A multiple unit heat exchanger comprising a plurality of elongated members each having a unitary metallic structure with parallel flow passages extending into said member from one end face thereof for the flow of the fluids between which the exchange of heat is to be effected, a plurality of said elongated members being arranged parallel to one another in a single plane, and connecting sections secured to one end face of each member, said connecting sections each having longitudinal passages aligning with the flow passages of the member to which it is connected and ports extending transversely thereof and intersecting said longitudinal passages, and external connections associated with said ports for transmitting the fluid from one such member to the adjacent members.

'7. A multiple unit heat exchanger comprising a plurality of elongated members each having a unitary metallic structure with parallel flow passages extending into said member from one end face thereof for the flow of the fluid between which the exchange of heat is to be effected, a plurality of said elongated members being arranged parallel to one another in a single plane, and connecting sections secured to one end face of each member, said connecting sections each having longitudinal passages aligning with the flow passages of the member to which it is connected, and ports extending transversely thereof and intersecting said longitudinal passages, and

female connections associated with the lower ports and male connections associated with the upper ports for facilitating the mounting of the heat exchanger members in superposed interlocking relationship with one another and for transmitting the fluid from one such member to the adjacent members.

8. In a multiple unit heat exchanger, an element comprising a casting having passages for the flow of fluid therethrough, said passages extending from end to end of said casting, removable closures for the open ends of said passages,

and the side walls of said passages having inlet and outlet ports therein, said inlet and outlet ports respectively being complementary each to the other and symmetrically arranged whereby when said elements are assembled the inlet ports of one element will form fluid-tight connections with the outlet ports of the adjacent elements.

9. In a multiple unit heat exchanger, an element comprising a single unitary piece of metal having four parallel passages for the flow of fluid therethrough, said passages extending from end to end of said metal piece and being arranged around a common centre, means for connecting diagonally opposite passages with each other at one end of the element, a removable closure for the opposite end, and the side walls of said passages having inlet and outlet ports therein, said inlet and outlet ports respectively being complementary to each other and symmetrically arranged whereby when said elements are assembled the inlet ports of one element will form fluid-tight connections with the outlet ports of the adjacent elementsi 10. In a multiple uni-t heat exchanger, an element having four parallel passages extending into said element from one wall thereof, and means for interconnecting said passages comprising a cap member adapted to be clamped against the end wall of said element and having a diagonal passage connecting two of the passages of said element and a part cooperating with the adjacent wall of said element to form a second pasposed passages of said element.

11. In a multiple unit heat exchanger, a unit body having parallel passages extending into said unit body from one wall thereof and means for transmitting fluid to and from said passages, said means comprising a block adapted to be clamped against the end face of said unit body, said block having longitudinal passages aligning with the passages of said unit body and ports transversely arranged with respect to the passages of said unit body for providing external connec- 10 

